Date: 11/4/24 10:27 am From: Conor McMahon via groups.io <conormcmahon22...> Subject: [sbcobirding] Gaviota Coast, Arroyo Hondo Rock Wren
Hi guys,
I briefly birded the three state parks yesterday (El Capitan, Refugio, and then Gaviota), mostly focusing around the campgrounds. Nothing much to report from the state parks.
Then I went on a hike at Arroyo Hondo. I went up the 'Upper Outlaw Trail' which is very steep but gets into some rocky areas and low growth coming back after the 2021 Alisal Fire. The fire burned large areas of the uplands at Arroyo Hondo but the riparian woodland along the creek was pretty much entirely unaffected, and the uplands seem to be coming back in pretty well.
I had a Rock Wren up there - I think there's probably more habitat for that species in the area now with more exposed rock and low growth after the fire. I also saw one in similar habitat ~ 1.25 mi east at Baron Ranch in January (also in Alisal Fire regrowth). Also had a flyover of yet another group of Horned Larks.
I think Arroyo Hondo doesn't get enough birder visitation - looks like just 22 eBird lists this year from 11 individuals. The preserve is open every other weekend by appointment only, but if you make an appointment you can hike around by yourself and the habitat is really nice. One problem is that they don't open until 10am which is a little late for birding, though. I added an entry on the BirdingHotspots page:
